2026-27 Committees

*These committees are actively recruiting members to volunteer for 2026-27.

All other committees have memberships that are specified in WASFAA's handbook or will not be actively recruiting; contact the committee chair(s) with questions.

Advocacy & Legislative Issues*

Responsible for informing the Membership of all federal and state legislation and regulations relative to financial aid, from inception through passage or finalization, and for the interpretation of such to the Membership.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Kevin McShane

Herzing University

Members

2026-27 Priorities

Archives*

Permanently maintains the archived records of the Association and its members and provides archival research services and historical information upon request.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Stephanie Ryan

Marquette University

Members

2026-27 Priorities

Create a new digital space to house WASFAA's archival collection.
Build a new manual/procedures for the committee and future chairs.
Assist the Research Committee and the membership with any research requests that arise during the year.

Awards*

Selects members for suitable recognition for outstanding service to both the association and the financial aid community at large.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Katy Weisenburger

UW-Madison

Current Members

Karie Cunningham, UW-Madison

Heidi Johnson, UW-Madison

Susan Johnson, UW-Stevens Point

Kevin McShane, Herzing University

Sue Minzlaff, Retired

Lynne Siewert, Retired

2026-27 Priorities

Belonging & Inclusion*

Provides insight, involvement, and programming that ensures inclusion within association practices and policies, while both celebrating and enhancing it.

Time Commitment: 5 - 7 hours/month

Chair

Mark Quistorf

St. Norbert College

Members

2026-27 Priorities

Collaborate with the Conference Committee to include a "Belonging & Inclusion" session, open with a land acknowledgement, and identify additional priorities.
Assess members’ sense of belonging (e.g., via survey) and use insights to guide initiatives.
Collect and share member stories to highlight diverse backgrounds and strengthen belonging within WASFAA. Learning about others goes a long way!

College Access Support*

Provide resources and access to expert financial aid advice to high school counselors and others that support students attending post-secondary education across the state of Wisconsin.

Time Commitment: 2 - 3 hours/month

Chair

Karla Weber Wandel

UW-Madison

Current Members

Tammie Devooght-Blaney, HEAB

Stacy Eslick, Wisconsin School Counselors Association

Mike Gawel, Fox Valley Tech

Brenda Herman, Viterbo University

Carey Jennings, Viterbo University

Linda Kinziger, Ripon College

Chandar Robertson, Madison College/Boys & Girls Club MKE

Katie Sprunger, Edgewood College

Carole Trone, College Goal WI/WI Coalition on Student Debt

Tom Uecker, UW-Whitewater

Ben Wilkes, UW-Oshkosh

2026-27 Priorities

Revive the former high school counselor workshops into their post-COVID era - whatever that looks like for this first year.
Use the first year back to collect feedback and have the time to make 2027 even better.
Find a Chair to takeover in 2027.

Corporate Support

Coordinates all exhibitor and sponsorship activities between the WASFAA Conference Chairs, Treasurer, all vendors and sponsors for support of WASFAA activities.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Matt Lehmann

Monogram, LLC

Members

Raina Chezem, Elm Resources

Mike Hruska, UW Credit Union

Christina Rose, College Ave

Ka Lia Smith, Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources

Lisa Valentine, ScholarNet

2026-27 Priorities

Recruit a stellar docket of supports for our 2027 conference.
Look for new ways for our supports to engage with our members.

Finance

Advises the Executive Committee on matters related to financial governance and fiscal responsibility, including the dues structure, annual budget, reimbursement policies, and other financial matters of the Association.

Time Commitment: 1 hour/month

Chair

Carole Ann Johnson

Fox Valley Tech

Members

Triena Bodart, Moraine Park Tech

Jana Davidowski, UW-Stevens Point

Joe Kaufman, UW-Stout

Wendy Leach, UW-River Falls

Matt Lehmann, Monogram, LLC

Ben Wilkes, UW-Oshkosh

Member-At-Large

Loan & Financial Awareness*

Works cooperatively in monitoring changes and trends in the student loan programs and facilitate the sharing of financial literacy resources/best practices.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Pamela Lowrey

Gateway Tech

Chair

Kristin Stuhr-Mootz

Medical College of Wisconsin

Members

2026-27 Priorities

Provide support to the WI Coalition on Student Debt through regular attendance of meetings & helping as needed.
Re-evaluate our direction/focus based on the OBBBA changes & the private loan industry shift.
Determine the future of the committee with WASFAA – if we continue to be a committee – stand alone or consolidate or change to an appointment to DFI, etc.

Membership*

Dedicated to an engaged and active membership base. By creating opportunities for connection and involvement, the Membership Committee strives to ensure members find value in their WASFAA experience.

Time Commitment: 1 - 3 hours/month

Chair

Ka Lia Smith

Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources

Current Members

Jinny Apuli, Marquette University

Betsy Henkel, Beloit College

Mike Hruska, UW Credit Union

Justin Schmidt, UW-La Crosse

Tom Uecker, UW-Whitewater

Katy Weisenburger, UW-Madison

2026-27 Priorities

Increase connection in fun and exciting ways outside of the financial aid world, and we want your ideas! Will it be virtual trivia? A WASFAA Book Club? You can help us decide by joining our committee!

Mentorship

Fosters meaningful connections and professional growth through guided conversations. Mentor/mentee pairs receive monthly emails with discussion prompts to support engagement and relationship-building and also have the opportunity to connect at the annual conference with dedicated time to continue building their relationship.

Time Commitment: 1 hour/month

Chair

Matt Lehmann

Monogram, LLC

Chair

Heidi Schissler

Herzing University

2026-27 Priorities

Developing three mentorship tracks (new, mid-level, aspiring directors) to serve all members.
Send a post–July 1 survey to gauge interest and match mentors/mentees.
Provide monthly mentorship emails and encouraging pairs to meet monthly.

Nominations*

Finds the next candidates for nomination to elected positions, develops the election ballot, then hosts the election and reports on its results.

Time Commitment:1 - 3 hours/month

Chair

Triena Bodart

Moraine Park Tech

Current Members

Heidi Johnson, UW-Madison

Mandy Slowinski, Madison College

2026-27 Priorities

Professional Development*

Provides continuing education for experienced aid officers and office professionals.

Time Commitment: 2 - 4 hours/month

Chair

Julie Curtis

MSOE

Chair

Katherine Foster

UW-Whitewater

Members

Isaac Albert, Maranatha Baptist University

Jaimie Borisch, Herzing University

Heidi Johnson, UW-Madison

Nicole Johnson, Marquette University

Kathy Peterburs, UW-Milwaukee

Christina Rose, College Ave

Elizabeth Serwe, Moraine Park Tech

Lisa Valentine, ScholarNet

Stephanie Zylka, UW-Milwaukee

2026-27 Priorities

Virtual Workshops Planned for Summer. OB3: Bi-weekly in July and August.
Mini-Conference in November: Direct Loans NASFAA Credential, OB3 Discussion
New Professionals Track at the 2027 Annual Conference
2027 Leadership Conference (fall)

Research*

Our vehicle for research activity by identifying initiatives and/or receiving research topics from the membership

Time Commitment: 2 - 5 hour/month

Chair

Wendy Hilvo

Concordia University

Chair

Sara Both Holman

College Board

Members

2026-27 Priorities

Strengthen and fine-tune the committee focus, and recruitment of members.

Establish a team of researchers who are willing to spend 2-5 hours per month (depending on volunteer pool and docketed projects) gathering data in service of WASFAA
Determine if the current committee description (see above) is accurate, or needs to be modified.
Outreach and collaboration with WASFAA membership and other committees to identify and prioritize research needs.
Track progress of implementation of Strategic Plan.

Website

Maintain functionality and display of WASFAA website and Facebook page while managing content.

Time Commitment: 1 - 2 hours/month

Chair

Karla Weber Wandel

UW-Madison

Members

Jana Davidowski, UW-Stevens Point

Carole Ann Johnson, Fox Valley Tech

Wendy Leach, UW-River Falls

Casey Lehmann, Nicolet College

Joe Kaufmann, UW-Stout

Ka Lia Smith, Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources

Ben Wilkes, UW-Oshkosh

2026-27 Priorities

Continue to improve website accessibility and usability so it's easy navigate and engage with content.
Regularly review and update the site to ensure resources are relevant, inclusive, and user-friendly.
Use the Facebook & LinkedIn pages to share information and engage the membership in new ways.

WASFAA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.